Jackson Mthembu. File photo
The ANC denied on Monday that there will be a call for a special national general council at its national executive committee (NEC) this coming weekend.
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"I am not aware of such a call. If there is any it cannot fly into the NEC meeting. We had our conference in 2012, why should we call another conference?" African National Congress spokesman Jackson Mthembu asked.

He said the ruling party was focusing on the national election next year.

"We are concentrating on our... campaign to win in the coming national election."

He said the NEC meeting would be an ordinary meeting and the ANC would not be dictated to by newspaper reports on how to run its affairs.

The New Age reported on Monday that sources within the ANC said there would be a move to call for a special national congress where President Jacob Zuma would be removed and replaced by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe ahead of the election, and Cyril Ramaphosa to take over as the country's president next year.

Lukas

12-09-2013, 06:56 AM

ANC said there would be a move to call for a special national congress where President Jacob Zuma would be removed and replaced by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe ahead of the election, and Cyril Ramaphosa to take over as the country's president next year.

ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa struggled to connect with party members who gathered for a prayer service to celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela at the Standard Bank Arena, in Johannesburg, yesterday.

Ramaphosa, who started his speech by identifying himself as President Jacob Zuma's "sidekick", had to be helped along by Gauteng ANC provincial secretary David Makhura.

As Ramaphosa was speaking, Makhura interrupted him to plead with people to sit down and give him a chance to be heard.
To avoid possible embarrassment, Makhura created an impression that people were restless because they feared that buses would leave them behind. He ordered marshals to close the doors and not allow anyone to leave.

"Comrades, buses are not going to leave you. We have the buses' keys with us here. Please close the doors while the [deputy] president speaks," he said.

Ramaphosa apologised that Zuma could not address them because of other commitments. "President Zuma was supposed to address [you]. He is involved in making arrangements for the burial of Mandela. He sent me, his sidekick, to address you," he said. Ramaphosa is expected to take over from Zuma as the next party president, unless lobbyists in the movement have other ideas. Ramaphosa told the inattentive audience, which did not clap once for him, that South Africans should emulate Nelson Mandela and foster reconciliation and unity.

He said Mandela's ill health over the past months had helped to prepare the nation for his departure."He prepared us to get used to the idea that he would leave us. "Nelson Mandela was a nation- builder and was humble. He taught us to forgive," Ramaphosa said.He reminded ANC members of the qualities of discipline and loyalty that Mandela had.

He said it was Mandela who brought fundamental change to the country, and he had provided people with houses and education. ANC Gauteng provincial chairman Paul Mashatile credited Mandela with uniting South Africans of all races. "Mandela ran his race and has done his part. Today we are free and united in our diversity, now it is our turn to run the race," he said.